Congratulations on being selected by your school to join Common Ground Class 52. This unique youth leadership program has served almost 2500 students since 1988! Our mission is to “enable students from the Greater Hartford area to develop an appreciation and comfort level with people of diverse backgrounds and to become thoughtful, responsible and imaginative leaders in order to better serve their communities.”
Here are some details for the program:
Your participation begins on Wednesday, September 27 at 3:00-5:00pm, the first of the weekly Wednesday meetings for students, followed by an Orientation where the parents join the students from 5:00-6:30pm. We will send transportation to pick you up directly after school or provide you with bus passes which you will take to our corporate meeting space in Hartford each week which is located at 350 Church Street: MetroCenter- Lincoln Financial Building. It is also your parent’s responsibility to bring you home this first night. For the remainder of the program, I will provide a bus to take you home each evening, see directions in folder. To recap, students come to 350 Church Street directly after school on 9/27 and parents join us at 5pm. No transportation is provided home that first session.
The Camp Jewell Weekend Retreat is from September 29- October 1. Your attendance at the retreat is mandatory for your participation in the program. The only excused absence that will be considered is if you observe Yom Kippur in which case, please let us know.
You and your parent(s) are expected to attend the first meeting on Wednesday September 27th to clarify all Program details and commitments, especially about Camp Jewell. Common Ground staff will be present to answer any questions or concerns. You will receive all materials pertaining to the retreat weekend and the program at that time. It will be a fun and interesting evening and tasty refreshments will be served.
Again, the camp weekend is mandatory! You cannot participate in the program unless you attend. Please reserve your space in the program by filling out the enclosed medical and permission forms and return them to the Common Ground office immediately along with your $50.00 Common Ground commitment fee. They can be faxed to 860-951-3685 or emailed to andre.santiago@leadershipgh.org. If none of those options work, please bring the completed packet with you to the orientation. Please make all checks or money orders payable to Leadership Greater Hartford.
Welcome to Common Ground, where tomorrow’s leaders grow together! If you cannot participate or should you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 860.206.5067.
